Discover Phillipsburg Main Street
Schallert Recognizes Phillips County
It is always good when visitors to our community are impressed with the people and activites in Phillips county. We often do not get feedback directly. Rarer still, have articles written about Phillips County and then have them published in national magazines. Well, here is one such article, we would like to share with you.
Jon Schallert, the founder of Schallert Bootcamp, was fortunate to have got to know seven (7) individuals from Phillips County last year that attended his camp. The knowledge and expertise shared during the bootcamp was quickly applied by the business owners from Phillips County upon their return. The Discover Phillipsburg Main Street organization with financial assistance from Phillips County Economic Development (PCED) last year sent these seven individuals, including Michelle Jacobs (the community coordinator) for the Community Reinvestment group of Phillips County.
The growth and impact by Schallert bootcamp on these businesses was so great, that the PCED made the committment to the Schallert Group to reserve a place each year for six businesses for the next three (3) years. This was a $45,000 dollar committment for the Bootcamp by paying for business owners boot-camp reservation fees. This type of committment was the first ever for Schallert across the entire nation. It was because of this involvement with Phillips County, that Jon had a special article created to put in some national magazines.
Payback to the community comes from the growth of these businesses (because of the application of the education learned at Schallert). Every business is different in what it does and the impacts received. One of the business owners stated it helped increase their revenue by at least 400%, another 100%, another was seeing 50% increases, where others forecasted future growth potential. These impacts are all great, but vary depending on the business and its involvements in applying ideas it has learned.
The biggest challenge most businesses see upon returning (if they are making large expansions or changes) is financial. Phillips County, Kansas is very unique as the PCED has a local grant program, called the EBEP. It is one of only about 4 counties in the State of Kansas which has a true grant program for entrepreneurs. Along with the grant, if approved, they can apply for a low to no interest loan up to 60% of the cost of the project. If they happen to fall into the Discover Phillips Main Street district in Phillipsburg, they could as for additional zero interest loan funds. This pro-active atmosphere being created and fueled by businesses attending Schallert, is one of many reasons which lead Phillips County to be designated an Entrepreneurial Community (E-Community) by Network Kansas in 2010.
Every business is unique, just like every person is, that runs a business. The key to growing our communities is through visionary concepts created by our entrepreneurs. Stepping out of the box (mindset) from our rural mainstreet (traditional marketing) into creating a place (business) that visitors and shoppers will travel more than 200 miles to purchase items because it is (a destination). This concept may sound strange, but consider what you (everyone) does for a vacation. They make a special trip to go somewhere unique.
Phillips County has had it challenges, but as residents and businesses we have great potential. Jon Schallert and many other visitors which shop here as a regional point, see this. If we are to continue to stay strong and grow, we must be pro-active and postitive, and see ourselves (our county) as a regional point, just as many people across the state and nation see us already.
Let’s Discover Phillips County’s potential!!!!
Posted by Jeff Hofaker
Facebook & Social Media Training
Learn what Social Media is and how it can help or hinder your business. Phillips County Economic Development, E-Center and Discover Phillipsburg Main Street are partnering together to bring you Facebook and Social Media Training.
On Monday, November 1, 2010 at the E-Center in Phillipsburg you will have the opportunity to learn how to set up a Facebook page for your business. Hints on how to use Facebook to help grow your business. Tricks of the trade to optimized your search engines results.
Brief introduction to WordPress, Youtube and Twitter.
For more information or to register contact our office at 785.543.5809 or email pced2@ruraltel.net.
Jon Schallert at Huck Boyd Center on August 31, 2010
Marketing Expert & Small Business Strategist Jon Schallert will be in Phillipsburg on Tuesday, August 31st. Jon will be presenting “Increasing Sales & Profits As a Destination Business.” This seminar will teach those in attendance, how to turn their business into a dominant consumer-magnet capable of pulling in customers from hundreds of miles away.
The program will be from 8:00 – 9:30 am at the Huck Boyd Center in Phillipsburg. For information and reservations, contact Michelle Jacobs at Discover Phillipsburg Main Street at 785.540.4284.
Tickets are $5.00 for Phillips County residents and $20.00 for those outside Phillips County.
This program is sponsored by Discover Phillipsburg Main Street and Discover Phillips County Economic Development.
Shopping Locally for Christmas !
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This is the season of giving. There is nothing quite like shopping in a rural town with the perfect Christmas atmosphere. Local retail shops offering hot cider to people walking in the door. Music playing in the street. Local residents smiling and talking to you as they shop. Always a parking place nearby and never having to wait in line very long, if ever. There are many reasons for shopping in the small town and having a GREAT experience is definately the first thing that comes to mind.
Additionally, we need to keep in mind the economic support given to our small entrepreneurial businesses. By shopping local, we keep a larger portion of our money in the local economy and support jobs through these businesses. The business owners and the salaries toward their staff allow for those families to continue living and surviving in our area. It is understandable that from time to time, some items need to be purchased from stores out of town, BUT many of those goods we need or even want for Christmas (or during the year) can be found or ordered locally. Sometimes the item price will be same, higher or even (yes!) lower, than purchasing out-of-town goods. Also, when you figure gas and incidental spending (food, movies, other), more often than not, a trip for buying out-of-town goods can cost a resident more than shopping locally. Yes, there are exceptions. I will not list them all, but the primary reason used seems to be the “I just want to get out of town! ” . Although this is the most used reason, it usually equates to the most expensive trip for the resident and/or family (due to unexpected and unneeded goods/services) and also takes away critical, financial support from smaller local businesses.
Because of the economy and challenging times, many residents have been very frugal and pro-active in their shopping this year. Buying earlier in the year through payments at a local store. Utilizing some of the out-of-home entrepreneurial businesses, such as candles, home decor, quilts, or other items, for stocking stuffers has been more popular this year. Gift certificates toward local grocers, fuel, or essentials have been talked about a lot this year as well.
Christmas is definately the time for giving, as we are reminded by “the reason for the season!” As we all look at our neighbors across our towns, consider giving gifts acquired from those local and small town stores, which in turn support the local community and families. In these challenging times, we should also focus our attention toward supporting our local non-profit organizations, who work diligently toward improving our way of life and the basic needs those in need in our area.
Thank you all for supporting our local businesses! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Kansas Main Street Awards
At the Kansas Main Street Awards Banquet on Thursday, Oct. 22nd in Leavenworth, Phillips County Economic Development was presented with the Leadership Award.
Lt. Governor Troy Findly presented staff of Phillips County Economic Development with this award. Kansas Main Street recognized PCED for the financial and staff support they have given and continue to give the Discover Phillipsburg Main Street program.
Discover Phillipsburg Main Street also received the Excellence in Historic Preservation Award for the 1959 Walking Tour. The Excellent in Public/Private Partnership award was given to Discover Phillips County for the educational grant they provided for quarterly trainings.
DISCOVER PHILLIPSBURG MAIN STREET PRESENTS WALKING TOUR FOR DOWNTOWN PHILLIPSBURG
With the Class of 1959 from Phillipsburg High School being the honored class at this years Alumni Banquet, Discover Phillipsburg Main Street (DPMS) has developed a walking tour in the downtown designated area. The walking tour begins at the northeast corner of the intersection of 3rd Street & G Street and will end at this same intersection. The committee encourages everyone to park the car and enjoy the walk. DPMS tried to make this a s accurate as possible with the records available. They encourage anyone who remembers differently to let them know. Individual business in the downtown area will have photos of the business from 1959 and/or a copy of an advertisement from the 1959 Phillips County Review. Some of Bill Clark’s photos are on display in the Tri-C Woodworking shop and the building on the west side of the old First National Bank building. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Michelle Jacobs at the Discover Phillipsburg Main Street Office – 540-4284.